No lah, Dublin was truly fantastic. But I knew I was not getting a true taste of Ireland if I merely stayed within the confines of the city. So on my second day in Ireland, I decided to leave the city and explore the Irish countryside, on my rented red Volkswagen Polo.

Hiring a car in Ireland is cheap. At just â‚¬17 (RM80) a day, it's a real bargain.

Getting around however, is not cheap. In Ireland, the petrol prices are around â‚¬1.10 (RM 5.20) a litre. That's more than double the price in Malaysia. It's so expensive it could easily cost me over RM 250 just to fill up a tank.

Ridiculous.

No wonder petrol station in Ireland is EMO!

So I drove from Dublin on the east side of Ireland, all the way to Galway on the west.

The journey along the highway was largely boring and uneventful.

There was nothing see at all. Except for a river. AND IT SUCKS.

Literally.

I was relieved when I finally reached Galway after three hours on the road, and promptly checked myself into this cozy romantic Bed & Breakfast called Petra House (â‚¬50, or RM240).

Petra House was quite possibly the most charming B&B I have ever stayed at.

The house is like a cottage straight out of fairy tale book and is run entirely by a friendly husband-and-wife team. My room was spotlessly clean and they served the most deliciously awesome breakfast I had during my entire stay in Ireland.

Gotta love those ceramic ware. Anyway, I'm most definitely bringing a future girlfriend here with me next time, whenever that may be.

The natural landscape of West Ireland is a completely different creature altogether from the big smoke that is Dublin.

As touristy as they may be, the west side has the most awe-inspiring landscape I have ever seen in my entire life.

The highlight of the trip, however, was this jaw-dropping sight.

This the Cliffs of Moher, the most spectacular destination in County Clare.

I did not have plans to visit West Ireland initially. And then, I saw a picture of it on a tourist brochure and promptly told myself I have to go there no matter what.

That's how gung-ho I was. That's why I drove 3 hours all the way to the West. And I was not disappointed.

It took me a whole day of driving and I arrived at the Cliffs of Moher shortly after sunset. It's a good thing though. By then, the hordes of tourists have already departed, and I have the whole place all to myself.

There, I sat on the grass in solitary, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing, breathing in the fresh air of the Atlantic Sea and enjoying the sheer majesty of the 210m high cliffs.

I was at peace.

Pictures do not do the beauty of the place any justice whatsoever.

Never before have I seen a seascape this amazing. Not even Great Ocean Road in Australia or Halong Bay in Vietnam can compare to how impressive the Cliffs of Moher are.

My only regret is that I didn't bring a tripod. As a result, the only picture I had of myself with the Cliffs is this stupid photo.

Spoil the picture only.

I love it that the Irish knew how to preserve their natural landscape and chose not to erect any barricades to protect people from falling. The downside is, a lot of people have died after accidentally falling over the ledge.

But hey if I had a choice, I'd choose die there as well. It's too beautiful to leave.

Of course, there are other things to see in West Ireland.

Like the stone-covered barren landscape of The Burren.

The Kylemore, a Christian monastery that looks more like a castle.

And in general, just endless stretches of postcard-quality sceneries that made me felt like I was living in an entirely different planet.

The Emerald Isle is truly a gem.

Sure, it was lonely travelling alone.

At the same time, it was also very therapeutic for me to drive around on my own in my rental car, listening to Irish bands like Boyzone and Westlife on the radio.

My luck in discovering "hidden gems" away from the usual tourist routes continued when I stopped by a little town called Cong.

There was nothing special about the town itself. But I was drawn in by the sight of this derelict church by the roadside.

The church was clearly abandoned and now used as a graveyard. Tombstones were littered all over the church floor.

As I explored a bit, I stumbled across a back gate which leads to the beautiful but hauntingly quiet Cong Woods.

Already I felt calm and relaxed just looking this picture. I don't even need Enya.

It was raining and there was not a single soul in sight. Something just tells me this place is magical.

This was more than just a sightseeing trip to me. It was also something spiritually and emotionally fulfilling.

Being alone in the quiet woods, I found myself having the space and clarity to think about things I never had time nor concentration to think about back home. Things like where I want to go in my life, what I want to do with my career and so on.

In that sense, I think I've found what I was looking for before I set out on this trip. I drove back to Dublin feeling much refreshed and energized.

One thing I definitely noticed while driving around the Irish countryside was how exceptionally friendly the rural folks are.

When I lived in Perth, I was already used to smiling and saying "hi!" to strangers if I was walking on the streets. But in rural Ireland, they took it a step further.

Apparently, if you are driving along a stretch of road and another vehicle passes you in front, it is customary for you both to lift your fingers up, as if to give each other a bit of a "hi!" through the windscreens.

I thought that was a pretty cool culture to have.

The good news is, Malaysians are beginning to catch up.

I remember last time I was driving along the North-South Highway. This driver in a modified Kancil overtook me and greeted me the Irish way as well.

Omg that forest is awesome, I bet the air there was cool and so refreshing, unlike the hot and humid rainforests here in Malaysia. Anyway, that forest looks like the kinda place Cradle Of Filth hangs out to record their music videos. Gloomy, dark, eerie, but at the same time, calm and relaxing.

"I love it that the Irish knew how to preserve their natural landscape and chose not to erect any barricades to protect people from falling. The downside is, a lot of people have died after accidentally falling over the ledge."

Hahahahaa..!

And as an after thought, I now feel bad for laughing cos some people might have lost loved ones to those cliffs. :S

I salute you! I know I will not able to travel alone, what more to say to a foreign country. Btw... Ireland is really a beautiful country. Your photography skill improves a lot. Some of your pics are awesome. Looks professional.

Wow..the photos and scenery are fantastically superb. Looks so peaceful. I would have choose to die there too. I can imagine myself at the cliff side now, i guess i'll be thinking what are my goals and future goals are.

I have to agree that u kinda destroyed the photo u took at the cliff =,=""

Oh Kenny! When I read that you took the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, I wondered if you would make your way to the Cliffs of Moher. So glad you did. I visited the cliffs several years back and thought it was the most breathtakingly beautiful place ever. I was actually worried that I'd be blown away coz there was a very strong wind at that time, but (un)fortunately, I am rather hefty so gravity kept me grounded :-)

1st time I comment on yr blog but love reading it. U r so entertaining& funny. If u have time you must go and visit the Giant's Causeway in N.Ireland. Also the country park in Larne, Co.Antrim. Irish r really sweet people. I lived there many, many years ago and hope to go back while I can still walk!

The views are really stunning and thanks for sharing. Too bad you were alone when you experience these sights! You should invite fellow bloggers to join you. I wouldnt mind cos travellin alone sucks. Kudos to you for goin it alone.

Yo Kenny, not only do u hv a good command of english writing skills, thumbs up for ur photography skills too~! Way to go! travel more and blog more for ppl like us have yet to earn $..haha. glad u r enjoyin ur life and sharing ur happiness w us readers. Happy Labour Day~!

The last time we were in Ireland, we had to wait for 10 mins on a narrow country lane while the car in front chatted with an oncoming car. It seemed the most natural thing to do for them. Also, being non-white, we drew a lot of attention - cheers and waves from young school children in the school bus, smiles and hugs from villagers and strangers... aye, an emotionally warm place to make up for the cold weather.

Thanks for sharing Kenny. I would never have known Ireland if it wasn't from reading your blog. I hope you will bring your future girlfriend there cos it will definitely be a memorable place to remember and cherish.

Apprently not only somebody want to kill you, the entire irish nation want to do that too... that's why they name a City after Kilkenny and even invented a well known Kilkenny beer to tell the whole the world they wanted to do that....

Hahahhahaha.. I nearly toppled over when I saw your handy finger works :-P

My in-laws used to drive the same car you rented but in Dark Green. My father-in-law's fav is still good ole perfect pint of Guinness.

One of my sister-in-laws bathed her babies in Guinness. I can't recalled for how long she did that... perhaps only during Full-Moon celebration. She said Guinness warms up the body and made babies less prone to colds. I think it works because her kids seldom suffered from sneezes even the cousins caughing and sneezing cats and dogs around them...LOL

BTW, you did great photography and write-ups. I enjoyed reading them... a lot. I KIV the B & B you'd been. I adored such cozy abode.

omg, the cliffs of moher is simply spectacular and breathtaking..thanx for letting me know about it.i have never heard of that place till u blogged about it.i have a thing for cliffs.just been to uluwatu temple in bali and i am awed by the view from the cliffs =)

Beautiful pictures. Im glad Ireland left an impression (most just leave with hangovers!)

old Irish blessing:
“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”